Thank you Cindy. And although my posts may seem few and far between these days, I am actively researching and learning, and plan to continue to post, as Yahweh directs. Blessings to you too!
can i share this with you and please give me any insight you may have… i’m not trying to battle you or say that you are wrong i jsut wanted to share and get your opinion
i had written about seals 1-4 but i ‘ll only post about seals 5 & 6 please read and comment
Seal 5 – Persecution and 2 Thessalonians 2:7
5th Seal: Martyrs – often thought to symbolize the tribulation martyrs
Revelation 6:9-11 … “And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren that should be killed as they [were] should be fulfilled.”
Many say these are the tribulation saints. May I present another possibility? Our Brothers and Sisters in Christ have been persecuted throughout the centuries. They are being persecuted even now in other countries that are hostile to Believers in Christ. (Another ministry I respect is Voice of The Martyrs. Did you know the Bible is illegal in 52 countries! Take a moment to visit: http://www.persecution.com/)
I believe these “the souls of them that were slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held” are all the martyrs that have been killed since the beginning of the Church Age. I believe their number increases daily, as more and more of Jesus’ followers are killed around the world.
God’s Word clearly says in Romans 8:35-37 – “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? [shall] tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” Nothing separates us from the love of Christ. It was the Apostle Paul who said in Philippians 1:21 – “For to me to live [is] Christ, and to die [is] gain.” “Why?” you might ask? No matter how horrible the way the martyrs died they knew (from word of mouth by the apostles ‘teaching and later on in time once we had the printed Bible) they were going to Heaven. God also revealed through Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:6 &8 – “Therefore [we are] always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: We are confident, [I say], and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”
The antichrist isn’t given power over the saints until Revelation. 13:7- “And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.” He is also not heard of in John’s vision, atleast in the physical sense, until Revelation 13 as the beast that rises out of the sea. During the reign of the antichrist, whoever did not worship the beast was killed (Revelation 13:14). Believers at this time will have to choose being killed for standing for Jesus or taking the mark just to be able to buy or sell (Revelation 13:15-18) The Bible is clear on the consequences for taking the mark and worshipping the beast, Revelation 14:9-11, “And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive [his] mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.”Subsequently, the verses immediately following deal with what the saints must do during this time and what their reward will be for doing it. Revelation 14:12-13,” Here is the patience of the saints: here [are] they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed [are] the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.” It isn’t until chapter 20, after satan is captured and placed in the bottomless pit for 1,000 years, does John see the martyrs of great tribulation and how they were killed. Revelation 20:4, “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received [his] mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
The Bible tells us that we as Believers have overcome the “wicked one” (1 John 2:13-14) and that we are greater than he (Satan) that is in the world because of He that lives in us (1 John 4:4). Who is He that lives in us? The answer is in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 –“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and [that] the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” and 1 Corinthians 6:19 – “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” The Bible says in 2 Thessalonians 2:7 “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth [will let], until he be taken out of the way.” I believe the first “He” mentioned in this verse is none other than God the Father Himself. He is in CONTROL! He is more than aware of what is going on in the world today. He knows the evil that is at work, and He, in His appointed time, will intervene. Isaiah 40:12-15, 17, and 21-23 speak of God’s sovereignty and power – “Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or [being] his counsellor hath taught him? With whom took he counsel, and [who] instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding? Behold, the nations [are] as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing. All nations before him [are] as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity. Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth? [It is] he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof [are] as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in: That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.”
The next “He” mentioned in this verse is none other than God the Holy Spirit. Many believe the Holy Spirit will be removed when the Church is removed in the Rapture. I concur. Ephesians 4:30 says, “And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” Likewise in Luke21:28, Jesus tell us – “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” I believe Jesus is telling us to “look up” because we shall see Him coming in the clouds! (I’ll explain this later. I believe the Rapture is the day of the Church’s redemption from this world. We finally get to behold our Saviour and go Home!!) The Greek word used for the word redemption in Ephesians 4:30 and Luke 21:28 is the same word! The word is “apolytr?sis” (G629). This word has 3 meanings, the first 2 definitions appear to be related to Jesus’ Blood redeeming us from the penalty of sin- 1) a releasing effected by payment of ransom 2) liberation procured by the payment of a ransom (Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45, 1 Timothy 2:6). The 3rd meaning is- redemption, deliverance. Deliverance, as defined by Learners dictionary.com, is – the state of being saved from something dangerous or unpleasant. If you saw a speeding car approaching and your child was about to step out into the street what would you do? You would probably shout out his/her name and if they were within reach, you would most likely try to snatch (pull) them out of harm’s way! Sounds familiar doesn’t it? The Greek word harpaz? (G726) is used 17 times in 13 verses in the Greek concordance of the KJV in a similar manner. Verses Mt 11:12, Mt.13:19, John 6:15, John10:12, John 10:28-29, Acts 23:10 appear to fit the first 2 definitions given for harpaz?, 1) to seize, carry off by force 2) to seize on, claim for one’s self eagerly. And verses Acts 8:39, 2 Cor.12:2, 2 Cor. 12:4, 1 Thes. 4:17 and Rev.12:5 seem to fit the 3rd definition – to snatch out or away, also note that in these verses, the “snatching” is done by God! Remember, this article is not addressing whether or not the Rapture will take place. This author firmly believes it will happen. The question is when.
Before I go into the 6th seal, let me point out that in Matthew 24:6, Jesus said, ”for all [these things] must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” God’s Word does not lie. These things have been going on for the longest time and we are still here. The reason for this could be in 2 Peter 3:3-4 – “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as [they were] from the beginning of the creation.” The Apostle Peter said that scoffers were going to come. Notice when he said they would come… in the last days! The scoffers have been scoffing at Jesus’ Church, especially after false teacher Harold Camping’s prediction failed. (Please note when I use the word Church, I mean true Believers in Christ, not this poor display of Khristianity going on nowadays. That’s another article.) What did Peter say would be the reasoning for the scoffers’ beliefs? “for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as [they were] from the beginning of the creation.” Let’s consider this in today’s vernacular. “My great grandma been talking about “Jesus is coming” since my mom was a child. He still hasn’t come yet. It can’t be true.” Or how about this, “The world has always been the way it is, there’s nothing new going on.” Hmmm, those examples made me think for a minute. What did king Solomon say in Ecclesiastes 1:9 – “The thing that hath been, it [is that] which shall be; and that which is done [is] that which shall be done: and [there is] no new [thing] under the sun.” These signs have been happening for a long time, however; they have been INCREASING! May I suggest that the reason for the increase is that the Seals are being opened!
The 6th Seal
6th Seal: Widely thought to be the beginning of judgment?
Revelation 6:12-14 – “And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.”
In Revelation 6:12, when the 6th seal is opened, we see there is a great earthquake, the sun becomes black and the moon becomes red as blood. I believe this happens because at any given time, one half of the earth is experiencing daytime while the other half experiences night time. No matter where you are on earth you will know something is about to happen! In Joel 2:31 we read – “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.” I believe the 6th seal is describing the same event, the great and terrible day of the Lord! Notice also that Joel 2 describes the sun being turned into darkness and the moon into blood. The Bible says we shall not suffer WRATH! >(1 Thessalonians 5:9Romans 5:9 more on this later.) If we continue to read, Revelation 6:15-17 describes mankind’s reaction to these events… “And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” Looking at these verses, what has begun? Answer – the WRATH of the Lamb, the great Day of His WRATH is come!! The Bible says we shall not suffer WRATH! Now unless you do not believe in the trinity, I should not have to prove that Jesus (the Lamb) is God. Nor should I have to prove to you that Jesus, God the Son and God the Father are one. (1 John 5:7) By the way, I know the KJV uses the words “the Word” but the bible says that Jesus is the Word (John 1:1, 14) In verse 14, it says- “ And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” Who is the only begotten of the Father? Jesus Christ, Who is also God the Son! For further reading please see this link: http://www.contenderministries.org/biblestudy/trinity.php
You may be saying,” What does all this have to do with the Rapture?” Well, here we go…. I’m not claiming to know everything, neither am I trying to say my view is right… I just wanted to share … let God lead you in all Truth…..
If we continue to read after verse 17, “For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” Chapter 7 is next. In beginning of chapter 7, we read about the sealing of the 144,000 Jews who will be preaching the gospel during mankind’s short period left on earth. This, to me, is a stunning example of God’s continuing Mercy and Love toward man. (Even as He is preparing to pour out His Wrath, He still wants His gospel to heard. He still wants people to know that He sent His only Son Jesus to die on the cross and shed His Blood to pay the penalty for our sin. Like it says in 2 Peter 3:9 – “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” Praise God for His Mercy and Grace!!!! Hallelujah!!!) After John sees the sealing of the 144,000, his attention is drawn to a great multitude that appears before God’s throne. Revelation 7:9-10, “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.”
Back to 1 Thessalonians 5:9 says, “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,” We have already read that the Wrath of God has begun and according to 1 Thessalonians 5:9, we are not appointed to wrath but SALVATION. The great multitude cried out, “Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.” Who is the Church’s Saviour? Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ is also called the Lamb of God!( john 1:29,36) If you still are not sure who the great multitude is keep reading. Now John beholds a great multitude that no man could number made up of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues! Who does that sound like to you? Doesn’t the body of Christ consist of people from all cultures and backgrounds? Doesn’t Jesus have followers all around the world? Some might say that these are the same martyrs from the 5th seal, however; John never calls these people martyrs! The martyrs were given white robes and told to rest. This great multitude when John saw them already had their white robes on!!! The martyrs were under the altar of God. The great multitude, that suddenly appeared, were standing before the throne and before the Lamb! The great multitude IS NOT the martyrs of the 5th seal. John is asked a question by one of the Elders, “And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?” In today’s vernacular, “Who are these people and where did they come from?” John told the Elder, “Sir thou knowest.” Revelation 7: 14-17 records the Elders answer, “And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”
Okay, notice these points about the Great multitude:
a) Came out of great tribulation
b) Washed their robes white in the Blood of the Lamb
c) God shall dwell among them
d) Shall hunger no more
e) Shall thirst no more
f) The Lamb shall feed them
g) The lamb shall lead them to living waters
Point A: Came out of great tribulation
Matthew 24:29-30 says “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” In Mark 13:24-26 we see similar descriptions, “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.” Notice that both of these verses say after the tribulation Jesus comes in the clouds. A lot of people say these verses support a post Tribulation Rapture. I disagree. May I propose this thought, what if the signs Jesus gave were not the signs of His coming at the end of the age, but instead the signs of tribulation that would occur prior to His coming for His Church! In Matthew 24:15 Jesus says,” And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” The great multitude appears before the throne of God in Revelation 7:9 but in Revelation 14:6-7 we see an angel still preaching the gospel!,” And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” If the gospel is still being preached, how could Jesus be describing His coming at the end of the age? The Bible clearly tells us that we will experience tribulation (John 16:33, Matthew 24:9, Acts 14:22, Romans 5:2, 8:35,12:12, 2 Corinthians 1:4,4:17,6:4.8:2, Ephesians 3:13, Colossians 1:24, 1 Thessalonians 1:6,3:3-4,7, 2 Thess. 1:4, Hebrews 10:33, Revelation 1:9, 2:9) but the great multitude came out of great tribulation. In Matthew 24:21, Jesus says, “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” He tells us this after the abomination of desolation that takes place mentioned in Matthew 24:15. It is widely believed the abomination of desolation takes place when the antichrist sets himself up in the temple as God. Again, the antichrist isn’t heard from until Revelation 13… the great multitude is seen before God’s throne in Revelation7:9! I believe the great tribulation is synonymous with the Wrath of God. The last thing I would like to point out for point A is, in both Matthew 24 and Mark 13 Jesus is seen coming in the clouds. According to 1Thessalonians 4:17 where it is that we are caught up to meet the Lord? In the CLOUDS to meet the Lord in the air! “Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
Point B: Washed their robes white in the Blood of the Lamb
Revelation 1:9 says, “And from Jesus Christ, [who is] the faithful witness, [and] the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, “. Once we believe on Jesus, we are washed from our sins by Jesus’ Blood and sanctified by His sacrifice (1 John 1:7, Hebrews 10:10, 14) ) Romans 5:9 says, ” Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” Romans 4 talks about how Abraham’s faith in God was counted as righteousness to him (Romans 4:3, 11, 20-25) In Revelation 19:7-8, the marriage supper of the Lamb is about to take place,” Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.” We all know the “wife” spoken of in these verses refers to His Church. We are told the “clean and white fine linen” worn by the wife is the righteousness of the saints. Since our faith in God is counted as righteousness to us, then the great multitude is the Church clothed in white robes due to being washed in the Blood of the Lamb because of our faith in Jesus Christ, symbolizing our righteousness.
Point C: God Shall Dwell Among Them
In John 14:1-3, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if [it were] not [so], I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be also.” Jesus revealed that He was going to prepare a place for us, that He will come again to get us and we would be where He is. Who is Jesus coming back for? His Church! And where are we going to be? With Him in His Father’s House! If we are going to be in God’s House, it’s only natural that He will be dwelling with us. In John 17:24 we see that Jesus, while praying before His crucifixion, specifically asked God the Father to allow those whom He (The Father) has given to Him (Jesus) to be where He (Jesus) is “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.” Who are the ones whom the Father has given to Jesus? John 17:2-3 has the answer, “As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” The ones are those who know, believe the only true God and His Son Jesus who was sent to die for their sins. Jesus’ Believers are His Church!
Points D-G: Explained in one verse:
This is the “icing on the cake”!! We are told that the Great Multitude shall no longer hunger or thirst and that the Lamb shall feed them and lead them to living waters. We have already established that Jesus is the Lamb of God. John the Baptist identified Him by this name when He came to be baptized (John1:29, 36). Let’s go to John 6:35,” And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” Who was Jesus talking to? Jesus was talking to? Whoever would come to Him (John 6:37)! Who are the people that come to Him called? BELIEVERS! What are BELIEVERS collectively called? THE CHURCH!! I conclude that the great multitude IS the CHURCH that “, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes” (Revelation 7:9) and “are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (Revelation 7:14) which according to Revelation 6:15-17 the wrath of God had begun at the opening of the 6th seal.
Again, I don’t know anything; let’s just study God’s word together. Either way JESUS IS COMING!!!!
Wow. I believe your theology is good–and that is more rare these days than you might think. I believe you, like I, are sincerely seeking truth. I am not saying that I am right, and I have only shared this theory with one person before, but I will share it with you. Please consider it prayerfully because if I am wrong I do not want anyone blindly following me.
First–I agree that the souls under the altar are those who have been martyred from the beginning of the church until now, and even continue to be this day. I believe another horrible wave of persecution is coming–in fact, it has already begun, but I believe it will encompass the entire world, and will intensify. I believe the culmination of this is when the ‘beast’ government that rules the world gives the Antichrist the power to make war against Christians and kill them. I believe that the power spoken of in Rev. 13:7, that is given to the Antichrist, is given to him by men, but not by God–but is allowed by God. (my opinion) I believe that Islam will be a major component of the final world religion, so it is not hard to understand how this could happen, since it is happening already in many places.
As to the timing of the other events–we are approaching it in two entirely different manners. Let me explain my understanding of Revelation, and I believe it was the LORD who showed me this. However, I could be wrong, and you will need to pray and judge for yourself.
I do not believe the end times plays out in the chronological order in which it is written in the book of Revelation. Not exactly. Let me try to explain. You have watched movies where the main characters are sometimes together, but sometimes are in different places. In order to follow both characters at the same time, there could either be a ‘split screen’ effect, showing both characters at the same time in their respective places (but it would be very hard to follow the conversations and actions of both), or we could show one character and then the other. This is not an exact parallel of what I’m saying–but just an example to get you thinking. Another thing you have seen in movies is where you watch a scene unfold, then you have a new scene (perhaps with a subtitle such as ‘3 hours ago’), that shows the things that had happened just prior to that scene. The scene that is earlier in occurrence will play out until you are caught up to the first scene, and then you will go forward in time from there. Are you understanding?
Another thing that happens, and we see this in the 4 different gospel accounts, is that something happens but is told from different points of viewpoints. Thus, the accounts vary. Consider, in fact, if three blind men were exploring an elephant–one from the front, one from the side, and one from behind. Their descriptions, although very different, would be describing the same beast.
My view of the book of Revelation is that both of these techniques are involved. I believe that the trick is to divide it into chunks. Then, these chunks can be set side to side. (Don’t misunderstand–I am not talking about changing the order of anything within the ‘chunks’.)
I believe that the seven seals, the seven trumpets, and the seven bowls are happening side by side. I believe they are separate events, but overlap in time. Although it appears that the seven seals begin before the seven trumpets, I believe that definitely, by the sixth seal / trumpet / bowl, they have all converged and are happening concurrently.
I believe this also fulfills the LORD’s promise that He will ‘shorten the days’. Each separate judgment will happen, but concurrently, rather than consecutively.
I think it is very possible that the trumpets and seals are the same but different–let me explain. It may be that the trumpets are warnings to the rest of the world, but that the bowls are poured out on the Antichrist’s ‘beast’ kingdom. If the kingdom spans 1/3 of the globe, this would account for that. Sure, other nations would be affected by the bowls being poured out on the beast kingdom–which was receiving God’s judgment–but it would be something they would be witnessing, as a warning to not participate with the agenda of the Antichrist. This would also correspond with the three angels of Rev. 14: 6-11.
I believe the Rapture and the Second coming occur at the same time–as the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet. I believe Christians are on the Earth until that time. Many die from the calamities that take place as a result of the seals and trumpets (I believe Rev. 7:16 has a dual meaning and corresponds with that). Many others die in the great wave of persecution that is unfolding now, and will come to America too; and others will die when they are put to death for refusing to take The Mark.
Let me explain one other thing–something I think of as ‘markers’. Let me relate them to a principle in geology . . . Let’s say a volcano erupts–a huge volcano–and fills the earth’s atmosphere with ash. Let’s say there’s enough ash to make a layer, at least an inch thick, all over the world. Let’s also say there’s something distinctive about this ash, so that we can distinguish it from the ash of any other volcano ever. Perhaps it contains a unique element.
Now, let say that thousands of years later geologists in different parts of the world all find this ash, as they are doing their digging and exploring. When they compare their notes, it becomes obvious to them that it is the same ash, so they are looking at the same event . . . an event that happened at one particular time. (Based on this, they can know that all the layers of rock below that ash layer, were deposited before that event–and all the layers above the ash were deposited after that event.) I hope you are following my explanation.
Remember how I said that I believe the book of Revelation can be divided into chunks and set side by side? I believe these markers show us how to align the chunks. One marker is the signs in the sun and moon. It is something people all over the world will witness, that will tell them the LORD is approaching. They won’t need a TV to keep up with world events to know it is coming. It will be a sign to all mankind. It correlates Jesus’ details of the end times with Revelation’s. It is found in: Matthew 24: 29, Mark 13: 24-25, Luke 21: 25-26.
The other marker is Rev. 10: 5-7 and Rev. 16:15. I believe this places Jesus’ return at both the seventh trumpet AND the seventh bowl. (For more on that, check out my post ‘Rapture or Tribulation?’ from this July (2011).
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Great site! I am a King James man, however, it’s translation though correct is not always the best understanding of the Greek or Hebrew used. i.e. end of the world vs end of the age. Likewise, Peter do you love me? The word love is correct, however it is the same English word used in Peters answer, Yes Lord, I love you. In the Greek these two original words were not the same. Jesus was asking, do you love me more than anything or anybody even your own life. Peter did not answer honestly when he said yes. Peter was only willing to say that Jesus was his friend. How sad but true. I must admit that I have had friendship with Jesus for many years. I no longer wish to be his friend. I want to LOVE him as he first loved me. I want to agape him!
. . . I could go on and on! Feast of Trumpets is the season, the appointed time, the medium, it is the day that no man knoweth the day nor the hour. I believe this might well be the time and the appointed time. We cannot know the day nor the hour. The Feast begin in Israel 9 hours ahead of us and begins in the evening. This would means the Feast begins today, Sunday, September 16, 2012. It extends until the final minute somewhere on earth early Wednesday. We do not know when the Trumpet of God will sound. We are to be watching! I have done my best to understand the signs, times, and seasons. The understanding I have gained is sweet to my mouth but very bitter to my stomach. I love the thought of meeting Jesus in the air. The bitterness comes as I think of so many I failed to reach for Jesus. So many loved ones and friends will not be raptured. This is so horrible to think about. It is so bitter to the stomach.
The 7th trumpet isn’t going to be blowing this year–in fact, not for awhile. NOBODY is going anywhere just yet. I hope your bitterness is sincere, and that it will lead you to fast and pray for your loved ones and friends, and to begin to tell them how to repent and be reconciled to God. I hope you won’t include the false preTrib Rapture doctrine in your message to them. It is a very powerful deception that is going to lead to the destruction of many people. Tribulation is coming. Persecution is coming. We must be holy, and endure to the end.
Let me start by saying how encouraged I am by reading your posts. Your insights are very helpful and cause deep thought on my part regarding my own beliefs and biblical understanding.
My question is this, do you know of any scripture(s) that relate to or speaks of time moving faster in the end of days? There is a group of believers I am associated with who are feeling that days are going by quicker than ever. Matthew 24:22 and Isaiah 60:22 may address this but I have been unable to find any other scripture that speaks to this issue.
Thank you for taking the time to address this question if God leads you to do so.
Thank you for your encouragement. (And actually, I’m a sister in Christ. 🙂 )
I too have sensed that time seems to be speeding up, but other than Matthew 24:22, I don’t know of any Scriptures that might address this.
Another way that I suspect Matthew 24:22 may be fulfilled, is by the last three trumpets and vials happening together, rather than one after the other (5th trumpet & vial, then 6th trumpet & vial, then 7th trumpet & vial). Of course, I can’t guarantee this is how it will unfold, but it seems quite possible.
Hello, not scripture but interesting, especially given the scriptures about much larger earthquakes to come, but they say with the large earthquakes since early 2000’s that the rotation of the earth has sped up, along with it being “tilted” more and a wobble in the spin of it. The amount it’s sped up is miniscule (to me) but I guess in earth sciences it’s something big and still what seems miniscule when it comes to it’s rotation might actually have some effect who knows.
Dear Sister in Christ,
My apologies for assuming gender, now I have learned another lesson!! Thank you for sharing your insight. I stand in agreement with you as to the trumpet and vials fulfillment of scripture.
May God richly bless you and keep you safe, always.
First of all I am blessed by reading your blog. At first I really thought you are a brother in Christ, I thought I’ve finally found a Man of God but regardless, I praise God for the works He has done in your life. I truly believe that there is power in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I would like to hear your thoughts in this verse:
1 John 5:17 says, All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death.
What is the sin that does not lead to death? Also. are there any degrees in sin?
Because God hates 7 things which were mentioned in Proverbs 6:16-19. I am thinking if we Christians should make extra effort avoiding certain sins.
Are there degrees in sin . . . yes I believe so. From sin that we don’t realize is sinful, all the way to willful wicked destructive sins that harm others. That is why we need a Savior–we offend God, who is perfect in holiness, every day, just by our selfishness and bad attitudes. There’s no way we can EVER be perfect enough that He could allow us into His holy Heaven based on our own behavior. BUT, God is willing to overlook offenses we do in ignorance. And He’s willing to forgive ALL the sins we’ve done in the past, if we will only turn from them and ask His forgiveness. Jesus paid the price for our sins, and through faith in His payment on our behalf, we can be forgiven. God simply asks that we turn from sin, and do our best to submit to Him and walk in righteousness from today forward.
I too have read 1 John 5:17 and been puzzled by it. I believe it refers to sins that ARE forgivable vs. a sin that is not forgivable. We are to pray for one another, and ask God to forgive our brothers/sisters if/when they sin. But if they commit the ‘unpardonable sin’, then we should not pray for God to forgive them.
Here is my best understanding of what the ‘unpardonable sin’ is:
‘Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy [against] the [Holy] Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.’ (Matthew 12:31)
Here is how Strong’s concordance defines the Greek word translated ‘blasphemy’ that is used in this passage:
Strong’s G988 – blasphēmia
1) slander, detraction, speech injurious, to another’s good name
2) impious and reproachful speech injurious to divine majesty
I just read your blog concerning Noah, the word “perfect” describing him as “perfect in his generations”. You basically say that he was chosen because he was a just man and not because of his contaminated bloodline. “Perfect in his generation” means his generations before him were uncontaminated by the angelic attempts to contaminate the bloodline of Jesus. Didn’t you read what was going on during this time? Read the verses Gen. 6:1-4, Giants (fallen angels) were having relations with woman the “daughters of men” bearing children with this contaminated angelic bloodline . “Sons of God” referred to in verse 2 always means angels. Book of Jude indicates the fallen angels “left their first estate” meaning a change in their bodily form took place becoming giants on earth in human form. This was one of the many attempts of Saten to prevent Jesus from coming into the world. God threatened Saten in Gen 3:15 that he would be dethrone from his newly acquired kingdom, that a woman’s seed will bruise his head (meaning destroy the headship of his kingdom). Using his fallen angels to contaminate the bloodline of Mary to bore Jesus was Saten’s feeble attempt to prevent the Messiah from coming to us.
Yes, it’s true that those things happened. However that is not the primary and most important meaning of this verse. Those who are promoting the teachings that you put forth are creating a great distraction. (Been there for awhile and seen it first hand.) They are also promoting extra-Biblical sources (Book of Enoch), at a time when we need to be getting to know the Bible better than ever, and making it our firm foundation. At best, the Nephilim/Giant teachings out there are a time-wasting distraction–at worst they are leading people into error and deception through the extra Biblical sources they promote. My suggestion to you is: you’ve seen what it’s about, now move on.
The primary message that God wants to go out in this hour is not ‘avoid the Nephilim’ . . . it is REPENT of your sins!! Info about the Nephilim is given scant mention in Scripture, because it is not to be our primary concern. Yet throughout the WHOLE of Scripture, is the message of repentance and obedience. It is a perverse spirit that causes one to reject what God has put in plain sight, and instead pull out vague and passing references to an event, and make that the center of one’s focus. May you now devote your time to spreading the message of repentance, faith in Christ, and obedience rather than focusing on interesting, yet mostly irrelevant teachings that ‘tickle the ears’.
Thank you for this terrifying website… and it’s guidance. There are many false prophets… thank for you truth.
So let me ask… the most widely known scripture… defining salvation…
John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” KJV
Should not perish? Everlasting life? I looked up the definition of perish… from our “666 frenemies” at Google..
per·ish
ˈperiSH/Submit
verb
suffer death, typically in a violent, sudden, or untimely way.
“a great part of his army perished of hunger and disease”
synonyms: die, lose one’s life, be killed, fall, expire, meet one’s death, be lost, lay down one’s life, breathe one’s last, pass away, go the way of all flesh, give up the ghost, go to glory, meet one’s maker, cross the great divide; More
suffer complete ruin or destruction.
“the old regime had to perish”
synonyms: come to an end, die (away), disappear, vanish, fade, dissolve, evaporate, melt away, wither
“must these hopes perish so soon?”
(of rubber, a foodstuff, or other organic substance) lose its normal qualities; rot or decay.
“most domestic building was in wood and has perished”
synonyms: go bad, go off, spoil, rot, go moldy, molder, putrefy, decay, decompose
“the rubber had perished”
So… it is saying if you believe in Jesus, truly, you will never ‘perish’… never ‘suffer death’… never ‘lose one’s life’… never ‘die’. Am I reading that correctly? I’m not speaking in the spiritual sense… the Bible also references not adding to, or taking away, from scripture.
Honestly looking for some real advice here…. thank you!
– Mike
No, we do not continue to live in these present bodies forever.
A seed lies in the earth and dies, and it sprouts up to become a brand new plant. The seed dies, but then again, it doesn’t–it merely is born again in a new form. We lay these bodies down in death, but then God raises us to newness of life, and our bodies take on a new form that is both spiritual and eternal.
The resurrection is when we will be ‘born again’. For now, we are ‘begotten (conceived) again’, a new creation growing within this old body of flesh, and at death we shall burst forth from it (as the roots first come forth from a seed), and then at the resurrection we will be born into eternal life (as the little leaves sprout from the seed after the root). This resurrection into eternal life is our ‘blessed hope’. 🙂
When you first sinned, your spirit died. Your body lived on, but your spirit was dead and your heart became hardened as stone.
When you became ‘begotten again’–when you repented of your sins and committed your life to Christ–God remade you as a new creation with a new heart and a new spirit. If you continue through this life, and remain in Christ and endure in Him to the end, your spirit will never again die. And at the resurrection God will raise up your body, healed and refashioned, in which you will live forever.
The verse you gave:
‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him >> should not perish, but have everlasting life <<.' (John 3:16)
is contrasting between eternal life, or eternal death, like this one:
'And these >> shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal <<.' (Matt. 25:46)
Greetings
You’ve commented on Wings of Prophecy and I just want you to know I think you have an awesome website!
Just found the posted video on a google search :INSIDER SPEAKS OUT ABOUT NIBIRU, PLANET X AND ELENIN IS HE TELLING THE TRUTH?
We have to have to face the truth.No one gets to Heaven without going through Tribulation…Alot of Christians think they are exempt.
God Bless you and All you Love!
Cindy
Thank you Cindy. And although my posts may seem few and far between these days, I am actively researching and learning, and plan to continue to post, as Yahweh directs. Blessings to you too!
Where can you post your question? Have you identified the abomination of desolation?
I believe the abomination that brings desolation will be the ‘image of the beast’ that is set up in the Temple of God (see Rev. 13).
The Greek word is Strong’s G946 – bdelygma:
I. a foul thing, a detestable thing
A. of idols and things pertaining to idolatry
See also Matt. 24:14, Mark 13:14, Dan. 11:31 and 12:11.
can i share this with you and please give me any insight you may have… i’m not trying to battle you or say that you are wrong i jsut wanted to share and get your opinion
i had written about seals 1-4 but i ‘ll only post about seals 5 & 6 please read and comment
Seal 5 – Persecution and 2 Thessalonians 2:7
5th Seal: Martyrs – often thought to symbolize the tribulation martyrs
Revelation 6:9-11 … “And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren that should be killed as they [were] should be fulfilled.”
Many say these are the tribulation saints. May I present another possibility? Our Brothers and Sisters in Christ have been persecuted throughout the centuries. They are being persecuted even now in other countries that are hostile to Believers in Christ. (Another ministry I respect is Voice of The Martyrs. Did you know the Bible is illegal in 52 countries! Take a moment to visit: http://www.persecution.com/)
I believe these “the souls of them that were slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held” are all the martyrs that have been killed since the beginning of the Church Age. I believe their number increases daily, as more and more of Jesus’ followers are killed around the world.
God’s Word clearly says in Romans 8:35-37 – “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? [shall] tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” Nothing separates us from the love of Christ. It was the Apostle Paul who said in Philippians 1:21 – “For to me to live [is] Christ, and to die [is] gain.” “Why?” you might ask? No matter how horrible the way the martyrs died they knew (from word of mouth by the apostles ‘teaching and later on in time once we had the printed Bible) they were going to Heaven. God also revealed through Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:6 &8 – “Therefore [we are] always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: We are confident, [I say], and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”
The antichrist isn’t given power over the saints until Revelation. 13:7- “And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.” He is also not heard of in John’s vision, atleast in the physical sense, until Revelation 13 as the beast that rises out of the sea. During the reign of the antichrist, whoever did not worship the beast was killed (Revelation 13:14). Believers at this time will have to choose being killed for standing for Jesus or taking the mark just to be able to buy or sell (Revelation 13:15-18) The Bible is clear on the consequences for taking the mark and worshipping the beast, Revelation 14:9-11, “And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive [his] mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.”Subsequently, the verses immediately following deal with what the saints must do during this time and what their reward will be for doing it. Revelation 14:12-13,” Here is the patience of the saints: here [are] they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed [are] the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.” It isn’t until chapter 20, after satan is captured and placed in the bottomless pit for 1,000 years, does John see the martyrs of great tribulation and how they were killed. Revelation 20:4, “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received [his] mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
The Bible tells us that we as Believers have overcome the “wicked one” (1 John 2:13-14) and that we are greater than he (Satan) that is in the world because of He that lives in us (1 John 4:4). Who is He that lives in us? The answer is in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 –“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and [that] the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” and 1 Corinthians 6:19 – “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” The Bible says in 2 Thessalonians 2:7 “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth [will let], until he be taken out of the way.” I believe the first “He” mentioned in this verse is none other than God the Father Himself. He is in CONTROL! He is more than aware of what is going on in the world today. He knows the evil that is at work, and He, in His appointed time, will intervene. Isaiah 40:12-15, 17, and 21-23 speak of God’s sovereignty and power – “Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or [being] his counsellor hath taught him? With whom took he counsel, and [who] instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding? Behold, the nations [are] as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing. All nations before him [are] as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity. Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth? [It is] he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof [are] as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in: That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.”
The next “He” mentioned in this verse is none other than God the Holy Spirit. Many believe the Holy Spirit will be removed when the Church is removed in the Rapture. I concur. Ephesians 4:30 says, “And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” Likewise in Luke21:28, Jesus tell us – “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” I believe Jesus is telling us to “look up” because we shall see Him coming in the clouds! (I’ll explain this later. I believe the Rapture is the day of the Church’s redemption from this world. We finally get to behold our Saviour and go Home!!) The Greek word used for the word redemption in Ephesians 4:30 and Luke 21:28 is the same word! The word is “apolytr?sis” (G629). This word has 3 meanings, the first 2 definitions appear to be related to Jesus’ Blood redeeming us from the penalty of sin- 1) a releasing effected by payment of ransom 2) liberation procured by the payment of a ransom (Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45, 1 Timothy 2:6). The 3rd meaning is- redemption, deliverance. Deliverance, as defined by Learners dictionary.com, is – the state of being saved from something dangerous or unpleasant. If you saw a speeding car approaching and your child was about to step out into the street what would you do? You would probably shout out his/her name and if they were within reach, you would most likely try to snatch (pull) them out of harm’s way! Sounds familiar doesn’t it? The Greek word harpaz? (G726) is used 17 times in 13 verses in the Greek concordance of the KJV in a similar manner. Verses Mt 11:12, Mt.13:19, John 6:15, John10:12, John 10:28-29, Acts 23:10 appear to fit the first 2 definitions given for harpaz?, 1) to seize, carry off by force 2) to seize on, claim for one’s self eagerly. And verses Acts 8:39, 2 Cor.12:2, 2 Cor. 12:4, 1 Thes. 4:17 and Rev.12:5 seem to fit the 3rd definition – to snatch out or away, also note that in these verses, the “snatching” is done by God! Remember, this article is not addressing whether or not the Rapture will take place. This author firmly believes it will happen. The question is when.
Before I go into the 6th seal, let me point out that in Matthew 24:6, Jesus said, ”for all [these things] must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” God’s Word does not lie. These things have been going on for the longest time and we are still here. The reason for this could be in 2 Peter 3:3-4 – “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as [they were] from the beginning of the creation.” The Apostle Peter said that scoffers were going to come. Notice when he said they would come… in the last days! The scoffers have been scoffing at Jesus’ Church, especially after false teacher Harold Camping’s prediction failed. (Please note when I use the word Church, I mean true Believers in Christ, not this poor display of Khristianity going on nowadays. That’s another article.) What did Peter say would be the reasoning for the scoffers’ beliefs? “for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as [they were] from the beginning of the creation.” Let’s consider this in today’s vernacular. “My great grandma been talking about “Jesus is coming” since my mom was a child. He still hasn’t come yet. It can’t be true.” Or how about this, “The world has always been the way it is, there’s nothing new going on.” Hmmm, those examples made me think for a minute. What did king Solomon say in Ecclesiastes 1:9 – “The thing that hath been, it [is that] which shall be; and that which is done [is] that which shall be done: and [there is] no new [thing] under the sun.” These signs have been happening for a long time, however; they have been INCREASING! May I suggest that the reason for the increase is that the Seals are being opened!
The 6th Seal
6th Seal: Widely thought to be the beginning of judgment?
Revelation 6:12-14 – “And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.”
In Revelation 6:12, when the 6th seal is opened, we see there is a great earthquake, the sun becomes black and the moon becomes red as blood. I believe this happens because at any given time, one half of the earth is experiencing daytime while the other half experiences night time. No matter where you are on earth you will know something is about to happen! In Joel 2:31 we read – “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.” I believe the 6th seal is describing the same event, the great and terrible day of the Lord! Notice also that Joel 2 describes the sun being turned into darkness and the moon into blood. The Bible says we shall not suffer WRATH! >(1 Thessalonians 5:9Romans 5:9 more on this later.) If we continue to read, Revelation 6:15-17 describes mankind’s reaction to these events… “And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” Looking at these verses, what has begun? Answer – the WRATH of the Lamb, the great Day of His WRATH is come!! The Bible says we shall not suffer WRATH! Now unless you do not believe in the trinity, I should not have to prove that Jesus (the Lamb) is God. Nor should I have to prove to you that Jesus, God the Son and God the Father are one. (1 John 5:7) By the way, I know the KJV uses the words “the Word” but the bible says that Jesus is the Word (John 1:1, 14) In verse 14, it says- “ And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” Who is the only begotten of the Father? Jesus Christ, Who is also God the Son! For further reading please see this link: http://www.contenderministries.org/biblestudy/trinity.php
You may be saying,” What does all this have to do with the Rapture?” Well, here we go…. I’m not claiming to know everything, neither am I trying to say my view is right… I just wanted to share … let God lead you in all Truth…..
If we continue to read after verse 17, “For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” Chapter 7 is next. In beginning of chapter 7, we read about the sealing of the 144,000 Jews who will be preaching the gospel during mankind’s short period left on earth. This, to me, is a stunning example of God’s continuing Mercy and Love toward man. (Even as He is preparing to pour out His Wrath, He still wants His gospel to heard. He still wants people to know that He sent His only Son Jesus to die on the cross and shed His Blood to pay the penalty for our sin. Like it says in 2 Peter 3:9 – “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” Praise God for His Mercy and Grace!!!! Hallelujah!!!) After John sees the sealing of the 144,000, his attention is drawn to a great multitude that appears before God’s throne. Revelation 7:9-10, “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.”
Back to 1 Thessalonians 5:9 says, “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,” We have already read that the Wrath of God has begun and according to 1 Thessalonians 5:9, we are not appointed to wrath but SALVATION. The great multitude cried out, “Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.” Who is the Church’s Saviour? Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ is also called the Lamb of God!( john 1:29,36) If you still are not sure who the great multitude is keep reading. Now John beholds a great multitude that no man could number made up of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues! Who does that sound like to you? Doesn’t the body of Christ consist of people from all cultures and backgrounds? Doesn’t Jesus have followers all around the world? Some might say that these are the same martyrs from the 5th seal, however; John never calls these people martyrs! The martyrs were given white robes and told to rest. This great multitude when John saw them already had their white robes on!!! The martyrs were under the altar of God. The great multitude, that suddenly appeared, were standing before the throne and before the Lamb! The great multitude IS NOT the martyrs of the 5th seal. John is asked a question by one of the Elders, “And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?” In today’s vernacular, “Who are these people and where did they come from?” John told the Elder, “Sir thou knowest.” Revelation 7: 14-17 records the Elders answer, “And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”
Okay, notice these points about the Great multitude:
a) Came out of great tribulation
b) Washed their robes white in the Blood of the Lamb
c) God shall dwell among them
d) Shall hunger no more
e) Shall thirst no more
f) The Lamb shall feed them
g) The lamb shall lead them to living waters
Point A: Came out of great tribulation
Matthew 24:29-30 says “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” In Mark 13:24-26 we see similar descriptions, “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.” Notice that both of these verses say after the tribulation Jesus comes in the clouds. A lot of people say these verses support a post Tribulation Rapture. I disagree. May I propose this thought, what if the signs Jesus gave were not the signs of His coming at the end of the age, but instead the signs of tribulation that would occur prior to His coming for His Church! In Matthew 24:15 Jesus says,” And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” The great multitude appears before the throne of God in Revelation 7:9 but in Revelation 14:6-7 we see an angel still preaching the gospel!,” And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” If the gospel is still being preached, how could Jesus be describing His coming at the end of the age? The Bible clearly tells us that we will experience tribulation (John 16:33, Matthew 24:9, Acts 14:22, Romans 5:2, 8:35,12:12, 2 Corinthians 1:4,4:17,6:4.8:2, Ephesians 3:13, Colossians 1:24, 1 Thessalonians 1:6,3:3-4,7, 2 Thess. 1:4, Hebrews 10:33, Revelation 1:9, 2:9) but the great multitude came out of great tribulation. In Matthew 24:21, Jesus says, “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” He tells us this after the abomination of desolation that takes place mentioned in Matthew 24:15. It is widely believed the abomination of desolation takes place when the antichrist sets himself up in the temple as God. Again, the antichrist isn’t heard from until Revelation 13… the great multitude is seen before God’s throne in Revelation7:9! I believe the great tribulation is synonymous with the Wrath of God. The last thing I would like to point out for point A is, in both Matthew 24 and Mark 13 Jesus is seen coming in the clouds. According to 1Thessalonians 4:17 where it is that we are caught up to meet the Lord? In the CLOUDS to meet the Lord in the air! “Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
Point B: Washed their robes white in the Blood of the Lamb
Revelation 1:9 says, “And from Jesus Christ, [who is] the faithful witness, [and] the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, “. Once we believe on Jesus, we are washed from our sins by Jesus’ Blood and sanctified by His sacrifice (1 John 1:7, Hebrews 10:10, 14) ) Romans 5:9 says, ” Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” Romans 4 talks about how Abraham’s faith in God was counted as righteousness to him (Romans 4:3, 11, 20-25) In Revelation 19:7-8, the marriage supper of the Lamb is about to take place,” Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.” We all know the “wife” spoken of in these verses refers to His Church. We are told the “clean and white fine linen” worn by the wife is the righteousness of the saints. Since our faith in God is counted as righteousness to us, then the great multitude is the Church clothed in white robes due to being washed in the Blood of the Lamb because of our faith in Jesus Christ, symbolizing our righteousness.
Point C: God Shall Dwell Among Them
In John 14:1-3, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if [it were] not [so], I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be also.” Jesus revealed that He was going to prepare a place for us, that He will come again to get us and we would be where He is. Who is Jesus coming back for? His Church! And where are we going to be? With Him in His Father’s House! If we are going to be in God’s House, it’s only natural that He will be dwelling with us. In John 17:24 we see that Jesus, while praying before His crucifixion, specifically asked God the Father to allow those whom He (The Father) has given to Him (Jesus) to be where He (Jesus) is “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.” Who are the ones whom the Father has given to Jesus? John 17:2-3 has the answer, “As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” The ones are those who know, believe the only true God and His Son Jesus who was sent to die for their sins. Jesus’ Believers are His Church!
Points D-G: Explained in one verse:
This is the “icing on the cake”!! We are told that the Great Multitude shall no longer hunger or thirst and that the Lamb shall feed them and lead them to living waters. We have already established that Jesus is the Lamb of God. John the Baptist identified Him by this name when He came to be baptized (John1:29, 36). Let’s go to John 6:35,” And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” Who was Jesus talking to? Jesus was talking to? Whoever would come to Him (John 6:37)! Who are the people that come to Him called? BELIEVERS! What are BELIEVERS collectively called? THE CHURCH!! I conclude that the great multitude IS the CHURCH that “, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes” (Revelation 7:9) and “are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (Revelation 7:14) which according to Revelation 6:15-17 the wrath of God had begun at the opening of the 6th seal.
Again, I don’t know anything; let’s just study God’s word together. Either way JESUS IS COMING!!!!
Wow. I believe your theology is good–and that is more rare these days than you might think. I believe you, like I, are sincerely seeking truth. I am not saying that I am right, and I have only shared this theory with one person before, but I will share it with you. Please consider it prayerfully because if I am wrong I do not want anyone blindly following me.
First–I agree that the souls under the altar are those who have been martyred from the beginning of the church until now, and even continue to be this day. I believe another horrible wave of persecution is coming–in fact, it has already begun, but I believe it will encompass the entire world, and will intensify. I believe the culmination of this is when the ‘beast’ government that rules the world gives the Antichrist the power to make war against Christians and kill them. I believe that the power spoken of in Rev. 13:7, that is given to the Antichrist, is given to him by men, but not by God–but is allowed by God. (my opinion) I believe that Islam will be a major component of the final world religion, so it is not hard to understand how this could happen, since it is happening already in many places.
As to the timing of the other events–we are approaching it in two entirely different manners. Let me explain my understanding of Revelation, and I believe it was the LORD who showed me this. However, I could be wrong, and you will need to pray and judge for yourself.
I do not believe the end times plays out in the chronological order in which it is written in the book of Revelation. Not exactly. Let me try to explain. You have watched movies where the main characters are sometimes together, but sometimes are in different places. In order to follow both characters at the same time, there could either be a ‘split screen’ effect, showing both characters at the same time in their respective places (but it would be very hard to follow the conversations and actions of both), or we could show one character and then the other. This is not an exact parallel of what I’m saying–but just an example to get you thinking. Another thing you have seen in movies is where you watch a scene unfold, then you have a new scene (perhaps with a subtitle such as ‘3 hours ago’), that shows the things that had happened just prior to that scene. The scene that is earlier in occurrence will play out until you are caught up to the first scene, and then you will go forward in time from there. Are you understanding?
Another thing that happens, and we see this in the 4 different gospel accounts, is that something happens but is told from different points of viewpoints. Thus, the accounts vary. Consider, in fact, if three blind men were exploring an elephant–one from the front, one from the side, and one from behind. Their descriptions, although very different, would be describing the same beast.
My view of the book of Revelation is that both of these techniques are involved. I believe that the trick is to divide it into chunks. Then, these chunks can be set side to side. (Don’t misunderstand–I am not talking about changing the order of anything within the ‘chunks’.)
I believe that the seven seals, the seven trumpets, and the seven bowls are happening side by side. I believe they are separate events, but overlap in time. Although it appears that the seven seals begin before the seven trumpets, I believe that definitely, by the sixth seal / trumpet / bowl, they have all converged and are happening concurrently.
I believe this also fulfills the LORD’s promise that He will ‘shorten the days’. Each separate judgment will happen, but concurrently, rather than consecutively.
I think it is very possible that the trumpets and seals are the same but different–let me explain. It may be that the trumpets are warnings to the rest of the world, but that the bowls are poured out on the Antichrist’s ‘beast’ kingdom. If the kingdom spans 1/3 of the globe, this would account for that. Sure, other nations would be affected by the bowls being poured out on the beast kingdom–which was receiving God’s judgment–but it would be something they would be witnessing, as a warning to not participate with the agenda of the Antichrist. This would also correspond with the three angels of Rev. 14: 6-11.
I believe the Rapture and the Second coming occur at the same time–as the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet. I believe Christians are on the Earth until that time. Many die from the calamities that take place as a result of the seals and trumpets (I believe Rev. 7:16 has a dual meaning and corresponds with that). Many others die in the great wave of persecution that is unfolding now, and will come to America too; and others will die when they are put to death for refusing to take The Mark.
Let me explain one other thing–something I think of as ‘markers’. Let me relate them to a principle in geology . . . Let’s say a volcano erupts–a huge volcano–and fills the earth’s atmosphere with ash. Let’s say there’s enough ash to make a layer, at least an inch thick, all over the world. Let’s also say there’s something distinctive about this ash, so that we can distinguish it from the ash of any other volcano ever. Perhaps it contains a unique element.
Now, let say that thousands of years later geologists in different parts of the world all find this ash, as they are doing their digging and exploring. When they compare their notes, it becomes obvious to them that it is the same ash, so they are looking at the same event . . . an event that happened at one particular time. (Based on this, they can know that all the layers of rock below that ash layer, were deposited before that event–and all the layers above the ash were deposited after that event.) I hope you are following my explanation.
Remember how I said that I believe the book of Revelation can be divided into chunks and set side by side? I believe these markers show us how to align the chunks. One marker is the signs in the sun and moon. It is something people all over the world will witness, that will tell them the LORD is approaching. They won’t need a TV to keep up with world events to know it is coming. It will be a sign to all mankind. It correlates Jesus’ details of the end times with Revelation’s. It is found in: Matthew 24: 29, Mark 13: 24-25, Luke 21: 25-26.
The other marker is Rev. 10: 5-7 and Rev. 16:15. I believe this places Jesus’ return at both the seventh trumpet AND the seventh bowl. (For more on that, check out my post ‘Rapture or Tribulation?’ from this July (2011).
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Great site! I am a King James man, however, it’s translation though correct is not always the best understanding of the Greek or Hebrew used. i.e. end of the world vs end of the age. Likewise, Peter do you love me? The word love is correct, however it is the same English word used in Peters answer, Yes Lord, I love you. In the Greek these two original words were not the same. Jesus was asking, do you love me more than anything or anybody even your own life. Peter did not answer honestly when he said yes. Peter was only willing to say that Jesus was his friend. How sad but true. I must admit that I have had friendship with Jesus for many years. I no longer wish to be his friend. I want to LOVE him as he first loved me. I want to agape him!
. . . I could go on and on! Feast of Trumpets is the season, the appointed time, the medium, it is the day that no man knoweth the day nor the hour. I believe this might well be the time and the appointed time. We cannot know the day nor the hour. The Feast begin in Israel 9 hours ahead of us and begins in the evening. This would means the Feast begins today, Sunday, September 16, 2012. It extends until the final minute somewhere on earth early Wednesday. We do not know when the Trumpet of God will sound. We are to be watching! I have done my best to understand the signs, times, and seasons. The understanding I have gained is sweet to my mouth but very bitter to my stomach. I love the thought of meeting Jesus in the air. The bitterness comes as I think of so many I failed to reach for Jesus. So many loved ones and friends will not be raptured. This is so horrible to think about. It is so bitter to the stomach.
God bless you! Great site.
The 7th trumpet isn’t going to be blowing this year–in fact, not for awhile. NOBODY is going anywhere just yet. I hope your bitterness is sincere, and that it will lead you to fast and pray for your loved ones and friends, and to begin to tell them how to repent and be reconciled to God. I hope you won’t include the false preTrib Rapture doctrine in your message to them. It is a very powerful deception that is going to lead to the destruction of many people. Tribulation is coming. Persecution is coming. We must be holy, and endure to the end.
https://dontbefooled666.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/rapture-or-tribulation/
https://dontbefooled666.wordpress.com/2011/03/09/when-is-the-rapture/
Dear Brother in Christ,
Let me start by saying how encouraged I am by reading your posts. Your insights are very helpful and cause deep thought on my part regarding my own beliefs and biblical understanding.
My question is this, do you know of any scripture(s) that relate to or speaks of time moving faster in the end of days? There is a group of believers I am associated with who are feeling that days are going by quicker than ever. Matthew 24:22 and Isaiah 60:22 may address this but I have been unable to find any other scripture that speaks to this issue.
Thank you for taking the time to address this question if God leads you to do so.
In Christ’s Love,
Carrie
Thank you for your encouragement. (And actually, I’m a sister in Christ. 🙂 )
I too have sensed that time seems to be speeding up, but other than Matthew 24:22, I don’t know of any Scriptures that might address this.
Another way that I suspect Matthew 24:22 may be fulfilled, is by the last three trumpets and vials happening together, rather than one after the other (5th trumpet & vial, then 6th trumpet & vial, then 7th trumpet & vial). Of course, I can’t guarantee this is how it will unfold, but it seems quite possible.
Hello, not scripture but interesting, especially given the scriptures about much larger earthquakes to come, but they say with the large earthquakes since early 2000’s that the rotation of the earth has sped up, along with it being “tilted” more and a wobble in the spin of it. The amount it’s sped up is miniscule (to me) but I guess in earth sciences it’s something big and still what seems miniscule when it comes to it’s rotation might actually have some effect who knows.
oh sorry, faster spin=shorter day’s
Dear Sister in Christ,
My apologies for assuming gender, now I have learned another lesson!! Thank you for sharing your insight. I stand in agreement with you as to the trumpet and vials fulfillment of scripture.
May God richly bless you and keep you safe, always.
In Christ’s Love,
Carrie
May He richly bless and keep you as well. 🙂
Hi,
First of all I am blessed by reading your blog. At first I really thought you are a brother in Christ, I thought I’ve finally found a Man of God but regardless, I praise God for the works He has done in your life. I truly believe that there is power in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I would like to hear your thoughts in this verse:
1 John 5:17 says, All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death.
What is the sin that does not lead to death? Also. are there any degrees in sin?
Because God hates 7 things which were mentioned in Proverbs 6:16-19. I am thinking if we Christians should make extra effort avoiding certain sins.
Thanks!
Are there degrees in sin . . . yes I believe so. From sin that we don’t realize is sinful, all the way to willful wicked destructive sins that harm others. That is why we need a Savior–we offend God, who is perfect in holiness, every day, just by our selfishness and bad attitudes. There’s no way we can EVER be perfect enough that He could allow us into His holy Heaven based on our own behavior. BUT, God is willing to overlook offenses we do in ignorance. And He’s willing to forgive ALL the sins we’ve done in the past, if we will only turn from them and ask His forgiveness. Jesus paid the price for our sins, and through faith in His payment on our behalf, we can be forgiven. God simply asks that we turn from sin, and do our best to submit to Him and walk in righteousness from today forward.
I too have read 1 John 5:17 and been puzzled by it. I believe it refers to sins that ARE forgivable vs. a sin that is not forgivable. We are to pray for one another, and ask God to forgive our brothers/sisters if/when they sin. But if they commit the ‘unpardonable sin’, then we should not pray for God to forgive them.
Here is my best understanding of what the ‘unpardonable sin’ is:
‘Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy [against] the [Holy] Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.’ (Matthew 12:31)
Here is how Strong’s concordance defines the Greek word translated ‘blasphemy’ that is used in this passage:
Strong’s G988 – blasphēmia
1) slander, detraction, speech injurious, to another’s good name
2) impious and reproachful speech injurious to divine majesty
I just read your blog concerning Noah, the word “perfect” describing him as “perfect in his generations”. You basically say that he was chosen because he was a just man and not because of his contaminated bloodline. “Perfect in his generation” means his generations before him were uncontaminated by the angelic attempts to contaminate the bloodline of Jesus. Didn’t you read what was going on during this time? Read the verses Gen. 6:1-4, Giants (fallen angels) were having relations with woman the “daughters of men” bearing children with this contaminated angelic bloodline . “Sons of God” referred to in verse 2 always means angels. Book of Jude indicates the fallen angels “left their first estate” meaning a change in their bodily form took place becoming giants on earth in human form. This was one of the many attempts of Saten to prevent Jesus from coming into the world. God threatened Saten in Gen 3:15 that he would be dethrone from his newly acquired kingdom, that a woman’s seed will bruise his head (meaning destroy the headship of his kingdom). Using his fallen angels to contaminate the bloodline of Mary to bore Jesus was Saten’s feeble attempt to prevent the Messiah from coming to us.
Yes, it’s true that those things happened. However that is not the primary and most important meaning of this verse. Those who are promoting the teachings that you put forth are creating a great distraction. (Been there for awhile and seen it first hand.) They are also promoting extra-Biblical sources (Book of Enoch), at a time when we need to be getting to know the Bible better than ever, and making it our firm foundation. At best, the Nephilim/Giant teachings out there are a time-wasting distraction–at worst they are leading people into error and deception through the extra Biblical sources they promote. My suggestion to you is: you’ve seen what it’s about, now move on.
The primary message that God wants to go out in this hour is not ‘avoid the Nephilim’ . . . it is REPENT of your sins!! Info about the Nephilim is given scant mention in Scripture, because it is not to be our primary concern. Yet throughout the WHOLE of Scripture, is the message of repentance and obedience. It is a perverse spirit that causes one to reject what God has put in plain sight, and instead pull out vague and passing references to an event, and make that the center of one’s focus. May you now devote your time to spreading the message of repentance, faith in Christ, and obedience rather than focusing on interesting, yet mostly irrelevant teachings that ‘tickle the ears’.
Thank you for this terrifying website… and it’s guidance. There are many false prophets… thank for you truth.
So let me ask… the most widely known scripture… defining salvation…
John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” KJV
Should not perish? Everlasting life? I looked up the definition of perish… from our “666 frenemies” at Google..
per·ish
ˈperiSH/Submit
verb
suffer death, typically in a violent, sudden, or untimely way.
“a great part of his army perished of hunger and disease”
synonyms: die, lose one’s life, be killed, fall, expire, meet one’s death, be lost, lay down one’s life, breathe one’s last, pass away, go the way of all flesh, give up the ghost, go to glory, meet one’s maker, cross the great divide; More
suffer complete ruin or destruction.
“the old regime had to perish”
synonyms: come to an end, die (away), disappear, vanish, fade, dissolve, evaporate, melt away, wither
“must these hopes perish so soon?”
(of rubber, a foodstuff, or other organic substance) lose its normal qualities; rot or decay.
“most domestic building was in wood and has perished”
synonyms: go bad, go off, spoil, rot, go moldy, molder, putrefy, decay, decompose
“the rubber had perished”
So… it is saying if you believe in Jesus, truly, you will never ‘perish’… never ‘suffer death’… never ‘lose one’s life’… never ‘die’. Am I reading that correctly? I’m not speaking in the spiritual sense… the Bible also references not adding to, or taking away, from scripture.
Honestly looking for some real advice here…. thank you!
– Mike
No, we do not continue to live in these present bodies forever.
A seed lies in the earth and dies, and it sprouts up to become a brand new plant. The seed dies, but then again, it doesn’t–it merely is born again in a new form. We lay these bodies down in death, but then God raises us to newness of life, and our bodies take on a new form that is both spiritual and eternal.
The resurrection is when we will be ‘born again’. For now, we are ‘begotten (conceived) again’, a new creation growing within this old body of flesh, and at death we shall burst forth from it (as the roots first come forth from a seed), and then at the resurrection we will be born into eternal life (as the little leaves sprout from the seed after the root). This resurrection into eternal life is our ‘blessed hope’. 🙂
When you first sinned, your spirit died. Your body lived on, but your spirit was dead and your heart became hardened as stone.
When you became ‘begotten again’–when you repented of your sins and committed your life to Christ–God remade you as a new creation with a new heart and a new spirit. If you continue through this life, and remain in Christ and endure in Him to the end, your spirit will never again die. And at the resurrection God will raise up your body, healed and refashioned, in which you will live forever.
The verse you gave:
‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him >> should not perish, but have everlasting life <<.' (John 3:16)
is contrasting between eternal life, or eternal death, like this one:
'And these >> shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal <<.' (Matt. 25:46)